Optimism and Lemon Meringue Pie
Since the election I’ve been searching for optimism. I’ve found some. There is optimism in people gathering round. At the market yesterday, it was a flurry of friendship as people came to me to ask questions, express their feelings and opinions. There is optimism in a woman standing for president, and knowing more people voted […]
VOTE
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! And then go home and make some….quince paste!
Fig Crostata
I’ll be including plenty of gorgeous Italian recipes in classes this fall, and one of them is inspired by the air in this high spot of Tuscany, part of the Apuan alps, which smells like dessert. Walking along the lanes, climbing the trails, even cycling to the beach with cars whizzing by, the amber aroma of […]
Apricot Shortcake
I was preparing to make my favorite apricot tart for dessert tonight when I stopped, as though held back by an invisible hand. This never happens to me. I love everything about the process of making a tart, from measuring the flour (I know, but I love to do it!), to rolling out the pastry, to […]
Strawberry Shortcake à la Française
Oh, the strawberries this year! They’re a poem, a song, a one-bite perfection! We start getting long, narrow, slightly tart gariguettes in May, shipped in from Provence. I wait until I can smell their aroma before I buy them, and then I get just a few because I’m waiting for the real deal, the strawberries […]
Yogurt Cake Re-Visited
I have a dinner coming up, and I want to make a delicious but simple cake for dessert. I considered plenty of options and settled on an old favorite, Yogurt Cake. This, as those of you who have read On Rue Tatin, is a cake I discovered one day at my son’s school during a […]
How to Test a Recipe – Poached Pears
I have a confession to make. I love to test recipes. It’s creative, it’s finicky, it’s challenging. The aromas are marvelous, the workplace is comfortable and familiar, and you get to taste and share what you’ve just tested. When I talk about testing a recipe, I’m talking about preparing one for publication. It may be […]
Almond Heaven
My friend and colleague David Lebovitz has given me many things over the years, most of them issued from his magic oven or stove. This recipe for almonds, which I have adapted to a slight degree, is one of his gifts. We made it together in my kitchen years ago and everyone swooned. I put it […]
Red Currant Jelly
I’ve been so busy finishing a manuscript and taking care of the rest of the business of life that I hardly noticed summer was upon us. But Saturday, at the market, I saw the real harbingers of the season – red currants. Oh my, I walked right over to Mr.Brière, the man who sells me […]
Kougelhopf
Every year at Easter I make kougelhopf. Why for Easter? I’m not sure except that to me Easter is, among many other things, a feast of gorgeous baked goods and spring treats. Besides, kougelhopf holds special memories for me. Not only do I love its taste and buttery texture, the way the raisins float in […]
